Bed spring



c. J. ELDER Nov. 30, 1948.

BED SPRING 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 1, 1944 1111 ll *llllllr kllllPlllr fnHlll HI'I'dA /VE 7.5.

C. J. ELDER BED SPRING Nov. 30, 1948.

Filed Sept. 1-, 1944 2 sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. E5 [5491??? ATTUP/YE/i Patented Nov. 30, 1948 BED SPRING Charles J. Elder, Muncie, Ind., assignor to The Moore Company, Muncie, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,283

Claims. (Cl. 5-24'7) My invention relates to bed springs, and has for 2 its object the production of a bed spring which will provide improved comfort, which will be sturdy and durable in use, and which can be simply and economically manufactured.

A bed spring embodying my invention comprises a generally rectangular base frame provided with cross members which support spring elements of novel form. Each of these spring elements comprises a piece of spring wire bent to provide an upper, horizontal stretch, end stretches each embodying at least one helical coil, and juxtaposed bottom stretches secured to the base frame. The horizontal upper stretches of the spring elements are all substantially coplanar with each other and with a border frame, and are secured to each other and to the border frame by means including flexible strips of metal and tension springs.

The accompanying drawing-illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a fragmental top plan view of a bed spring; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, an elevation and a plan view of one of the spring elements; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 --5 of Fig. 3.

The bed spring illustrated in the drawing comprises a base frame including a generally rectangular border member l0 provided with a plurality of regularly spaced cross members ll The cross members I l, and preferably also the sides of the frame l0, support a plurality of transverse rows of spring elements each designated generally by the reference numeral I 2.

The spring elements 12 are of a peculiar form perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. As will be clear from those figures, each of such elements is formed of Wire and has an upper horizontal stretch l5, end stretches l6 each of which contains at least one helical turn l1, and juxtaposed lower stretches I8. Each of the lower stretches 18 at its free end is formed with an open eye l9 terminating in a reversely bent hook 20. The eyes H! are formed to lie substantially in the same horizontal plane, and preferably on the same side of the element.

In the preferred method of mounting the spring elements I2 on the base frame, each of the cross members II includes a transversely extending strip or flange 22. At intervals, each strip 22 is provided with T-shaped notches 23, as indicated in Fig. 5. The proportions of each of these notches is such that its wider lower portion will receive at one end the two lower stretches l8 of an element l2 and at the other end the hook 20 of one of such stretches.

The elements l2 are desirably arranged as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the elements of each transverse row being staggered relative to the elements of adjacent rows and overlapping the elements of adjacent rows longitudinally of the spring. As a result, each of the inner strips or flanges 22 may support opposite ends of the spring elements l2 of adjacent rows.

The upper stretches E5 of the elements l2 are interconnected by flexible metal strips 25 extending transversely of the bed'spring and overlying the upper stretches l 5 of the spring elements. At the points where each strip 25 crosses one of the upper stretches l5 of a spring element it is provided with a'down-struck tongue 25 bent into the form of a hook to embrace such horizontal stretch. The ends of the strips 25 are desirably connected through helical tension springs 26 to the sides of a generally rectangular border frame 2'! which surrounds the assembly in the common plane of the upper stretches B5. In addition, adjacent strips 25 are desirably interconnected by helical tension springs 28. The end strip 25 ad jacent each end of the border frame 2? may be connected thereto by metallic straps 29.

To oppose horizontal displacement of the border frame 2! relative to the base frame iii-4 i, such two frames may be interconnected by a stabilizer 30. Such stabilizers are well known, and therefore need not be described.

In assembling the bed spring, each spring element is secured to the base frame by collapsing the open end of each eye l9 and inserting the two lower stretches l8 of the element and the hook 253 on one of them through the narrow neck of a T- slot 23. Upon release of the effort employed to collapse the eye, the latter expands into the position illustrated in Fig. 4 with the hook 20 embracing the edge of the metal at one end of the slot 23 and with the two stretches It at the opposite end of such slot. Desirably, in mounting each of the spring elements l2 on the bottom frame the lower horizontal stretches are crossed, as will be clear from Figs. 3 and 4. This crossing provides a greater stability, prevents the stretches from bowing as a result of the reactions transmitted to them at the ends of the T-slot 23. and tends to prevent noise.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bed spring, a base frame, a plurality of spring elements mounted on said base frame, each of said spring elements being formed of Wire bent to provide an upper stretch and end stretches each including at least one helical turn, the upper stretches of said elements being substantially coplanar, and fiexible means connecting such upper stretches with each other, said elements being arranged in parallel rows with their upper stretches extending transversely of the rows, said base frame being provided with element-supporting members extending parallel to the rows of spring elements and provided in their upper edges with alined'T-shaped slots, each of said-elements including two juxtaposed lower stretches extending between adjacent ones of said members and disposed in the T-slots therein, each of said lower stretches being provided at its end with an open eye disposed in a horizontal plane and terminating in a reversely bent hook, each or said hooks being disposed in a T-slot and the 'two lower stretches of the element crossing each other between the two adjacent supporting members.

2. In a bed spring, a base frame, a plurality of spring elements mounted on said base frame, each of said spring elements being formed of wire bent to provide an upper stretch and end stretches each including at least one .helicalturn, the upper stretches of said elements being substantially coplanar, and .flexible means connecting such upper stretches with each other, said elements being arranged in parallel rows with their upper stretches extending transversely of the rows, said base frame being provided with element-supporting members extending parallel to the rows of spring elements :and provided in their upper edges with alined T-shaped slots, each of said elements including two juxtaposed lower stretches extending between adjacent ones of said members and disposed in the T-slots therein, each of said lower stretches being provided at its end with an open eye disposed in .a horizontal plane and terminating in a reversely bent hook, each of said hooks being disposed in a T-slot.

3. In a bed spring, a base frame, a plurality of 4 ing such upper stretches with each other, each of said elements including two juxtaposed lower stretches, each of said lower stretches being provided at its end with an open eye which termi- 5 nates in a reversely bent hook, said base frame including parallel element-supporting members provided in their upper edges with T-shaped slots each of which receives the two lower stretches of a spring element and the hook of one of them.

'15 and juxtaposed lower stretches, said upper and lower stretches being free of reverse bends, each of said .lower stretches being provided at its end with an open eye which terminates in a reversely bent hook, said upper and end stretches lying approximately in a common vertical plane, each eye .andits associated hook lying in .a plane subs'tantially perpendiciflarfto said first named plane.

5. The invention .set'forth in claim at with the addition that said eyes are offset in the same direction from the respective lower stretches.

CHARLES J. ELDER.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 32,235 McCormick Apr. 30, 1861 5 133,102 Hollings Nov. 19, 1872 182,797 Branson et =al Oct. 3, 1876 201,158 Carter Mar. 12, 1878 214,685 Mitchell Apr. 22, 1879 602,095 Gardiner June '7, 1'898 40 634,313 Teetenet al. oct. 3, 1899 '641;361' Beal l'n; Jan. 16, 1900 747,002 Shai'fifer Dec. 15,1903 1,737,112 "1Doty Nov. 26, 1929 2,016,372 Olson' Oct. 8, 1 935 2,029,076 Leeman Jan. 2a, 1936 

